New Tank!

[Sybilline]

Currently doing a fishless cycle of my tank and am now planning what fish I want to keep. My only worry is that according to my water provider the average pH in my area is 7.7~ and is classed as hard water, and I know that many fish prefer soft water. My tank is a 18.7 US Gallon tank.

The fish I am planning to keep are:

6 Pygmy or Panda Corys (Which one would you recommend)?
9 Neon Tetras (Would love Cardinals but my pH is too high)
3 Guppies
6 Celestial Pearl Danios

Aq advisor says I am just under 100% stocking level with these fish, but I'd like to know if anyone has any recommendations

Thanks!

 

[chickennuggets123]

Currently doing a fishless cycle of my tank and am now planning what fish I want to keep. My only worry is that according to my water provider the average pH in my area is 7.7~ and is classed as hard water, and I know that many fish prefer soft water. My tank is a 18.7 US Gallon tank.

The fish I am planning to keep are:

6 Pygmy or Panda Corys (Which one would you recommend)?
9 Neon Tetras (Would love Cardinals but my pH is too high)
3 Guppies
6 Celestial Pearl Danios

Aq advisor says I am just under 100% stocking level with these fish, but I'd like to know if anyone has any recommendations

Thanks!

Platys are quite hardy, and can stand different levels.
Buy something (like a kit) that will bring the pH down.

 

[fluttermoth]

Buy something (like a kit) that will bring the pH down.

No! Don't try and adjust pH; hard water will just bounce back up after a short time anyway, leading to pH swings which are far worse for fish tha a stable pH, even if it is higher than the fish original came from.
You could add some bogwood to the tank which would bring the pH down sightly.

OP; your stocking sounds fine; personally I'd stick with a larger number of one shoaling fish, rather than two because they seem happier and act more naturally in larger groups (don't forget the shoals they live in in the wild consist of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals), but it is up to you.

 

[chickennuggets123]

Buy something (like a kit) that will bring the pH down.

No! Don't try and adjust pH; hard water will just bounce back up after a short time anyway, leading to pH swings which are far worse for fish tha a stable pH, even if it is higher than the fish original came from.
You could add some bogwood to the tank which would bring the pH down sightly.

OP; your stocking sounds fine; personally I'd stick with a larger number of one shoaling fish, rather than two because they seem happier and act more naturally in larger groups (don't forget the shoals they live in in the wild consist of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals), but it is up to you.

whoops read it wrong, didnt mean ph

 

[Sybilline]

Buy something (like a kit) that will bring the pH down.

No! Don't try and adjust pH; hard water will just bounce back up after a short time anyway, leading to pH swings which are far worse for fish tha a stable pH, even if it is higher than the fish original came from.
You could add some bogwood to the tank which would bring the pH down sightly.

OP; your stocking sounds fine; personally I'd stick with a larger number of one shoaling fish, rather than two because they seem happier and act more naturally in larger groups (don't forget the shoals they live in in the wild consist of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals), but it is up to you.

So my neons will be ok in my pH? I figured if the LFS is keeping them in similar water to mine they must be conditioned to it

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes, they'll be fine, I'm sure; though they do tend to not do well in very new tanks, even if properly cycled, so I'd wait a bit before you add them.

 

[the_lock_man]

9 Neon Tetras (Would love Cardinals but my pH is too high)

Following on from FM's advice about pH, I would just like to add that I have Cardinal Tetras in a pH of 7.8, no problems at all.

 

[Sybilline]

Ah, I've also read neons and cardinals will shoal together which will add more colour to the tank.

My API master test kit came this morning and I've just had a chance to get the water readings, and I'm surprised to see I have little ammonia (Its yellow but with a slight green tinge). I also have 0 nitrites but I have 20ppm nitrates. I bought everything second hand, is it possible the bacteria in the filter has lived and so I don't need to cycle the tank?

 

[PyroBrit]

Measure your tap water for Nitrates. Mine is 20ppm before I even add it to the tank, or it was yesterday with my API test kit.

 

[Sybilline]

Just re-read the instructions for the kit and it says measure against the white background (oops). However, this doesn't change the results. The nitrates in tank are about 40ppm while my tap water nitrates are 5ppm so I assume something has happened to my water. Also, against the white backdrop the ammonia reading looks greener but still I'd say only 0.25ppm. Would it be safe to put 3 guppies into the tank to start with?

 

[laura120381]

yup!! guppy's can live in muddy puddle water!!! keep testing and water change as appropriate.

L

 

[the_lock_man]

Just re-read the instructions for the kit and it says measure against the white background (oops). However, this doesn't change the results. The nitrates in tank are about 40ppm while my tap water nitrates are 5ppm so I assume something has happened to my water. Also, against the white backdrop the ammonia reading looks greener but still I'd say only 0.25ppm. Would it be safe to put 3 guppies into the tank to start with?

You said you were doing a fishless cycle - you are dosing the tank with an ammonia source, right? What level are you dosing to? How long did it take to get that dose down to 0.25ppm?

Certainly, if your tank nitrates are higher than tap water, that suggests bacterial activity.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Buy something (like a kit) that will bring the pH down.

No! Don't try and adjust pH; hard water will just bounce back up after a short time anyway, leading to pH swings which are far worse for fish tha a stable pH, even if it is higher than the fish original came from.
You could add some bogwood to the tank which would bring the pH down sightly.

OP; your stocking sounds fine; personally I'd stick with a larger number of one shoaling fish, rather than two because they seem happier and act more naturally in larger groups (don't forget the shoals they live in in the wild consist of hundreds, if not thousands of individuals), but it is up to you.

So my neons will be ok in my pH? I figured if the LFS is keeping them in similar water to mine they must be conditioned to it

100% correct, forget about Ph, that is for our salty side.


Tom